Schoolchildren are being taught not to go to overstretched A&Es unless it is a genuine emergency as health chiefs hope they can persuade their parents to use other NHS options.

Every primary school in Britain has been sent a kit that uses games and songs to teach children not to go to hospital unless the problem is urgent.

Health officials have modelled the initiative on the way children urged families to recycle.

Kath Evans, head of patient experience for children at NHS England, told The Times: "We know that use of A&E services is increasing. We also know there are opportunities to think differently about the range of alternatives. They could wait until tomorrow, or go to the GP or local pharmacist. It's about learning and children are a powerful medium for doing that.

"It was children and young people who got us all to recycle. Can we get children and young people involved in the same way in the health agenda? We know there's significant potential for them to use local pharmacists and local GPs when it's safe and appropriate."

It is hoped the message, fronted by a knitted monkey, will form a regular part of personal, social, health and economic education lessons after a study found that more than 50 per cent believed it taught children about the costs of using the wrong NHS service and that they could pass this message on to parents.

Helen Sadler, the primary schoolteacher who wrote the "Monkey Wellbeing" series, said: "If one child per 19,000 primary schools didn't go to A&E with a cut finger, that would save £1 million."

A song telling children what to do will be used by schools. "When Monkey's feeling poorly and gets an injury / He doesn't have to swing straight to A&E", it says, before advising: "out of office hours, if Monkey's sick up in his tree / Go to the walk-in centre of out-of-hours GP".

Children who have learnt about alternatives to A&E can be awarded a Scouts-style "NHS Explorer" badge.